The Nugget Newspaper // Vol. XLVI No. 1 // 2023-01-04

Fire dance...

News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Aspen Lakes sale postponed

By Bill Bartlett Correspondent

The proposed sale of Aspen Lakes Golf Course east of Sisters has been postponed.

The Wyant family of Salem formed a South Dakota corporation named Rhue Resorts, Inc. with the intent to purchase Aspen Lakes Golf Course and adjoining property in excess of 1,000 acres, to develop as a destination resort that includes wine tasting, a cigar lounge, a campground on a 12-acre lake with paddleboats and canoes, a petting zoo, miniature golf, outdoor concert venue, food trucks, and dude ranch, as well as construction of a town square with

See ASPEN LAKES

Sisters’ firefighting capacity clarified

By Sue Stafford Correspondent

The Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District is adequately equipped to fight fires with their current equipment, and the fire station could hold a ladder truck if the District had one, according to Fire Chief Roger Johnson.

Comments made at the

December 14 City Council meeting by Mayor Michael Preedin, which were reported in the December 21 Nugget , were inaccurate. During Council discussion regarding the proposed increase in building heights allowed in Sisters to implement “efficiency measures,” Preedin incorrectly

Sisters man arrested in equipment thefts

Detectives arrested a Sisters man on Wednesday, December 28, in connection with a series of thefts of construction equipment.

After receiving several community tips and a report from a Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) Deputy, Central Oregon Drug Enforcement

Weston was previously

on page 10

Outlaws host Holiday Tournament

By Rongi Yost Correspondent

The boys basketball squad hosted their annual Holiday Tournament Wednesday through Friday, December 28-30, and competed against tough 4A squads from around the state. The girls squad also served up holiday competition (see story, page 4)

In their first match-up on Wednesday, the Outlaws lost 38-47 to the Klamath Union (KU) Pelicans. Sisters struggled to score in the first quarter and Kale Gardner scored their only points in the period off of a transition layup.

Klamath Union was on fire in the second quarter, and shot 83 percent from the field. Landon Scott hit a three-pointer to highlight Sisters’ scoring effort. At the half, the Outlaws trailed 9-25.

The Outlaws clamped down on defense in the third. Jessey Murillo got some good looks at the basket and scored five points, along with Adam Maddox-Castle, who hit a field goal and a triple for five points.

In the final quarter the Outlaws were able to cut the Pelicans’ lead to seven behind three-pointers from

See WESTON on page 15 See TOURNEY on page 22

Mehkye Froehlich and Gardner. Unfortunately, KU

Team (CODE) detectives identified Paul Weston, 46, of Sisters, as a suspect in a series of construction and heavy equipment thefts around the Portland and Vancouver, Washington areas.

Menkye Froelich of Sisters scores during a game against Henley.

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

Hoodoo Ski Area offered its traditional New Year’s celebrations, replete with fireworks and fire dancers on New Year’s Eve.

PHOTO BY JAROD GATLEY

OPINION

Letters to the Editor…

The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer’s name, address, and phone number. Letters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor. The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond, or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is 10 a.m. Monday.

Pleased to meetcha

To the Editor:

Been attached to Sisters for goin’ on 15 years, Central Oregon for 20, state of Oregon for 55, born in Yreka, California, so four years there (please don’t hold it against me).

I’ve always looked forward to the last Nugget of the year. I’ve always look forward to seeing all the folks I’ve known and met. The happy faces of those that have been and no longer are. Most of all, the ones that I’ve crossed paths with either way. Based on my continual perusal of The Nugget on a religiously weekly basis (again please forgive me), what one might notice is that the faces that I once always recognized have changed. This is OK for me! I’m not asking anyone to jump ship or hop on a bandwagon, or, well, just get tuckered out thinking too much about it. I’m just saying its OK.

I have been blessed with so many things in my life and continue to thank many people, God, my wife, my children, my friends, for what we have. Honestly, I can’t wait to meet all these new folks, hear their stories, play their games, watch their children grow, how smart they might be! I myself have been so

fortunate in my short stay here to see many other families grow and share the like. I guess all I’m trying to say is this: Next year at a minimum, please give everyone, anyone, all of the above a chance, give everybody a choice, give every person their right to be. Try to love deeper than anybody ever thought possible!

I ask you, “Is that wrong?” I think not, but then again, I’ve been known to be wrong a time or two. Ever heard “Don’t matter, ain’t gonna change.” Shame on us! Love to all I’ve known and all the ones ahead, I can’t wait to meetcha!

Charlie Bunker s s s

Contrasting columns

To the Editor:

In the most recent edition of the paper, I found it interesting that two completely contrasting columns were shared. “I want you to know” expressed the importance of how we communicate with one another so that respect prevails and the possibility of being heard exists.

Sisters Weather Forecast

A New Year’s resolution

By Steve Stratos Guest Columnist

When I was a kid growing up, my dad would often say to me, “Where are you going?” or “Where have you been?” These questions would bring a pause for reflection. They brought about thoughts of purpose, identity, values. Often they would stimulate some changes in behavior. Sometimes even become New Year’s resolutions.

As we enter a new year at SCC (Sisters Community Church), I think they are pretty good questions to ask of ourselves as a congregation. What is the role we want to play in our Sisters community? Where are we headed? And like any journey it is good to look back and reflect — where have we been? The answer can guide us to determine how and where we want to go forward.

Over the last five years we have cultivated some answers to these questions by creating what we believe to be our purpose. As a church we have adopted a mission statement: Connect with God, Care for People, and Cultivate Community. The goal of this mission is to be a blessing to our larger Sisters community. Connecting, caring, and cultivating are the values that drive us to be a good neighbor.

As our church community resolves to remember where we have been, we want to thank the larger Sisters community for its support. You have helped us to help others, giving many a sense of belonging, a place in their community. You have helped us make a difference by giving your time, money, expertise, and most of all compassionate care. Our free summer concerts saw as many as 500 people at each event, helping us raise close to $20,000 for valuable organizations that reach out to our youth, VFW, the houseless, and others in need.

Every week we meet new people, some who just moved to Sisters and some who’ve lived here awhile, but all who want to connect. Many need a helping hand, a listening ear, or a warm heart. Some have fallen on tough times, dark times. Their needs are basic — gas money, help with rent, a warming gift of firewood, or simply encouragement and sincere friendship.

Throughout the past year, we’ve enjoyed the opportunity to partner with others

to provide meals and education. Fine organizations that offer valuable services were able to use our kitchen, dining hall, and classrooms. They recently hosted 550 guests at a Thanksgiving dinner. Looking back at where we’ve been encourages us to look forward to where we are going. We want to continue along this path. And we resolve to find new ways to offer even more compassion and care. We resolve to love our neighbors — not only in word but by deed.

As I consider this year’s resolutions, I’m mindful of something else my dad used to tell me: “Remember who you are.” As a church, we have a new identity. One that will impact our New Year’s resolutions. During a year when division and disunity spread throughout our land, we became a unifying church, a reconciling church. We have experienced the joy of coming together with Vast Church to become a better SCC.

We went from being a church of “grandparents” to a multi-generational congregation. We now have a multitude of delightful children running about, creating even greater opportunities for productivity. We’ve all been stretched as we witnessed unity and diversity springing to life. We’ve changed and grown, and in the midst of what sometimes felt like chaos, we’ve learned to love and lean on new family members.

This renewed confidence in community helps us to embrace our differences, binding us together in a beautifully unified mission. Our new identity helps us to connect with God in more loving, unique, and meaningful ways. And together we hope to have an even greater impact in serving the larger Sisters community.

Our final resolution is to move forward with grace and truth, loving God and being good neighbors. We want to ask more questions, and to discover how to serve Sisters more effectively. We believe there is incredible beauty in the mountains but even more beauty in the people who live in Sisters!

We look forward to this new year. We are grateful to all that have helped us finish well. We will continue to be true to our mission to help us all connect with God, care for people, and cultivate community. This is our New Year’s resolution.

Views expressed in this column are solely those of the writer and are not necessarily shared by the Editor or The Nugget Newspaper.

Fire District shines during holidays

Thanks to generous donations of gifts and money over the past six weeks, the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire and Ambulance Association was able to provide Christmas gifts to 150 children. Gifts were available to children age newborn to seniors in high school of low-income families who live within the Sisters or Black Butte School Districts.

Gifts were distributed to families on Saturday, December 17, along with gift certificates for food from Sisters Kiwanis Club. Pet food and gifts from Furry Friends Foundation were distributed separately. Total families served this year for all three programs was 128.

On Christmas Day, the SistersCamp Sherman Fire District and the Sisters-Camp Sherman Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Association volunteers and staff prepared and served

BOARDS, GROUPS, CLUBS

Al-Anon Mon., noon., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. 541-610-7383.

a traditional Christmas Dinner for the community at the Fire Station Community Hall.

More than 95 people attended the dinner and an additional 60 meals were packaged to-go. Staff and volunteers also delivered 20 dinners to the Tapia family, who suffered a tragic loss on December 23 when Maria Tapia was killed in a car accident on Highway 20 (see related story at right). The Association decided to donate this year’s Christmas Dinner donations to the family of Maria Tapia. Donations were double what the Association normally receives, and $1,154 was donated to assist the family.

The District reported a great turnout of volunteers, who helped cook, serve, and clean after the event.

For more information contact the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District at 541-549-0771.

Planning Commission to deliberate on Sunset Meadows

By Sue Stafford Correspondent

The Sisters Planning Commission will decide whether to approve a revised version of a controversial subdivision plan at their first meeting of 2023. The revised plan reflects changes requested by citizens at previous hearings.

At the close of their December 8 public hearing on the Sunset

Meadows Master Plan, the Planning Commission left the written record open to allow for submittal of additional information.

The Planning Commission is scheduled to deliberate and make a decision at their next meeting, on Thursday, January 19. With the public hearing now closed, the Commission will not receive any

Community reaches out to family struck by tragedy

Sisters continues to reach out in support of the Tapias family, struck by a tragedy just before Christmas.

Maria Aviles Tapias was killed in a single-vehicle accident on Highway 20 east of Sisters on Friday, December 23. Tapias, well-known to many in the community as part of the Rancho Viejo Mexican Restaurant family, leaves behind five children, the youngest 3 years old, the others 9, 12, 15, and 19.

A GoFundMe page created by Cenobia Gonzalez of Sisters had raised $56,243 to assist the family as of last weekend. Other direct fundraisers and donations have provided support as well.

“This is a devastating loss for her family,” Gonzalez noted. “She was dearly loved in her community and made everyone around her

laugh.”

Tapias, 38, died when the vehicle she was a passenger in slid on ice heading west toward Sisters just before 4 p.m., left the roadway, and struck a tree. The incident occurred near the Sisters Rodeo Grounds. Maria Tapias was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tapias worked two jobs to help support her family. Funds will help defray medical bills, living expenses for the children, and funeral costs. The family’s needs will be ongoing. To contribute to the GoFundMe fundraiser, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/ please-help-marias-family.

SISTERS AREA MEETING CALENDAR

Go Fish Fishing Group 3rd Monday, 7 p.m. Sisters Community Church. All ages welcome. 541-771-2211.

Heartwarmers (fleece blanketmakers)

Alcoholics Anonymous Thurs., 7 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration / Sat., 8 a.m., Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration / Mon., 5 p.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / Big Book study, Tues., noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / Gentlemen’s meeting, Wed., 7 a.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / Sober Sisters Women’s meeting, Thurs., noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / Step & Tradition meeting, Fri., noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. 541-548-0440.

Central Oregon Fly Tyers Guild

For Saturday meeting dates and location, email: steelefly@msn.com.

Council on Aging of Central Oregon Senior Lunch In-person community dining, Tues. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Grab-and-go lunch Tues., Wed., Thurs. 12:30 to 1 p.m. Sisters Community Church. 541-480-1843.

East of the Cascades Quilt Guild 4th Wednesday (September-June), Stitchin’ Post. All are welcome. 541-549-6061.

2nd Tuesday, 1 p.m., Sisters Community Church. Materials provided. 541-408-8505.

Hero Quilters of Sisters Thursday, 1 to 4 p.m. 541-668-1755.

Citizens4Community, Let’s Talk 3rd Monday, 6 to 7:30 p.m. RSVP at citizens4community.com

Military Parents of Sisters Meetings are held quarterly; please call for details. 541-388-9013.

Oregon Band of Brothers – Sisters Chapter Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m., Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-549-6469.

SAGE (Senior Activities, Gatherings & Enrichment) Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sisters Park & Recreation District. 541-549-2091.

Sisters Aglow Lighthouse 4th Saturday, 10 a.m., meeting by Zoom. 503-930-6158.

Sisters Area Photography Club

2nd Wednesday, 3:30 p.m., at Sisters Community Church. 541-549-6157.

Sisters Area Woodworkers 1st Tuesday, 7 to 9 p.m. 541-231-1897.

Sisters Astronomy Club 3rd Tuesday, 7 p.m., SPRD. 541-549-8846.

Sisters Bridge Club Thursdays, 12:30 p.m. at Sisters Community Church. Email sistersbridge2021@gmail.com.

Sisters Caregiver Support Group 3rd Tues., 10:30 a.m., Sisters Episcopal Church. 541-771-3258.

Sisters Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors 4th Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Location information: 541-549-1193.

Sisters Kiwanis Thursdays, 7 to 8:30 a.m., Brand 33 Restaurant at Aspen Lakes. 541-410-2870.

Sisters Parent Teacher Community 2nd Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. at Sisters Saloon. 541-480-5994.

Sisters Parkinson’s Support Group 2nd Thurs.,1 p.m. Sisters Library 541-668-6599

Sisters Red Hats 1st Friday.

Location information: 541-848-1970.

Sisters Rotary 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, Noon, Aspen Lakes. 541-760-5645.

Sisters Trails Alliance Board every other month, 5 p.m. varies from in-person to zoom. Info: info@sisterstrails.org

Sisters Veterans Thursdays, noon, Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-903-1123.

Three Sisters Irrigation District Board of Directors 1st Tuesday, 4 p.m., TSID Office. 541-549-8815.

Three Sisters Lions Club 2nd Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Spoons Restaurant. 541-419-1279.

VFW Post 8138 and American Legion Post 86 1st Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., The Hanger, Sisters Community Church. 847-344-0498.

Weight Watchers Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. weigh-in, Sisters Community Church. 541-602-2654.

SCHOOLS

Black Butte School Board of Directors 2nd Tuesday, 3:45 p.m., Black Butte School. 541-595-6203

Sisters School District Board of Directors One Wednesday monthly, Sisters School District Administration Building. See schedule online at www.ssd6.org. 541-549-8521 x5002.

CITY & PARKS

Sisters City Council 2nd & 4th Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall. 541-549-6022.

Sisters Park & Recreation District Board of Directors 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 4:30 p.m., SPRD bldg. 541-549-2091.

Sisters Planning Commission 3rd Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall. 541-549-6022.

FIRE & POLICE

Black Butte Ranch Police Dept. Board of Directors Meets monthly. 541-595-2191 for time & date.

Black Butte Ranch RFPD Board of Directors 4th Thurs., 9 a.m., BBR Fire Station. 541-595-2288.

Cloverdale RFPD Board of Directors 3rd Wed., 5:30 p.m., 67433 Cloverdale Rd. 541-548-4815. cloverdalefire.com.

Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Board of Directors 3rd Tuesday, 5 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 541-549-0771.

Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Drills Tuesdays, 7 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. 541-549-0771.

This listing is for regular Sisters Country meetings; email information to nugget@nuggetnews.com

PHOTO PROVIDED

Volunteers served up Christmas dinner to 95 people — with an additional 60 meals packed up to go.

By Rongi Yost Correspondent

The Lady Outlaws basketball squad hosted their annual Holiday Tournament Wednesday through Friday, December 28-30. Teams traveled from around the state including 3A Banks, and 4A Crook County, Gladstone, Henley, Junction City, Klamath Union, La Grande, Madras, and Mazama.

Sisters suffered a 57-40 loss against Junction City in their first game of the tournament.

In the first quarter Haleigh Froehlich got Sisters on the board two minutes into the period when she drove the key for a lay-in to make it a 2-6 game. The Tigers got numerous points off

Outlaws turnovers and kept them scoreless until Ashlynn Moffat scored a layin off a Delaney McAfee assist with less than a minute left in the period. At the end of one, the Outlaws trailed 4-19.

Sisters came back in the second quarter and outscored the Tigers 16-13, but couldn’t get ahead due to the firstquarter deficit. Jenna Lake scored seven points in the period, Haleigh Froehlich contributed six, and Moffat added three. At the half the Outlaws were down 20-32.

In the third McAfee came off the bench and sparked the Outlaws’ offense with two baseline long balls, but Sisters couldn’t stay with the Tigers, who continued to extend their lead. At the close of the third period, the Tigers

held a 22-point advantage.

Sisters was able to hold the Tigers scoreless for four minutes in the final period, but they failed to hit their shots, and the Tigers were able to score down the stretch to secure the win.

Froehlich led the Outlaws with 15 points. Moffat scored nine, Lake contributed seven, and McAfee pitched in with five.

Patton said, “I was really impressed with Ashlynn’s all-around game, especially her assertiveness as a scorer. Haleigh was outstanding as well, in particular getting to the free-throw line, where she was seven-for-eight.

“The main reason for the loss was too many turnovers both against their full-court press and half-court defense,” added Patton.

Sisters was scheduled to play against Klamath Union on Thursday, but the game was canceled as Klamath Union decided not to travel in the snow.

On Friday the Outlaws matched up against 4A La Grande (LG), and lost in a final score of 30-52. Sisters tried a different lineup and had Josie Patton take over at the point guard position. Shae Wyland joined the starting lineup to help strengthen the Outlaws’ defense and rebounding effort, which proved to be effective in the first quarter.

Sisters stayed close to La Grande in the first quarter and only trailed by two, 7-9, at the close of the period. The Tigers’ first seven points

all came from the free-throw line, and with just seconds left they scored a bucket to take the lead.

In the second period, the Outlaws’ defense was a bit disorganized and the Tigers put up 18 points in the quarter. At the half the Outlaws were down 15-27.

Lake hit back-to-back threes to start the third quarter, which sparked the Outlaws, but the Tigers continued to attack the basket and extend their lead. At the close of the third, the Outlaws trailed 25-41. Sisters was only able to score five points in the final quarter, and the Tigers recorded the win.

Turnovers once again were a big problem for the Outlaws, as they turned the

ball over 20 times on 37 possessions.

Lake led the Outlaws with 13 points, seven of those in the third quarter. Froehlich was strong for the Outlaws on the inside and at the freethrow line and finished the game with nine points.

Patton said, “We are still trying to find our stride on the offensive end of the court with only one quarter of double-digit scoring, which was 10 in the third. They played pressuring half-court defense and we found it hard to get good shots. The good news is that we were fully healthy for the first time in weeks. If we can stay that way and get a few good practices under our belts we should be competitive in the games to come.”

The Lady Outlaws have work to do on improving ball control.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA KENNEDY

PHOTO BY OLIVIA KENNEDY

Wrestlers compete during holiday break at two tournaments

By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent

The Outlaws wrestling team hit the road twice during the holiday break, with tournaments in Pendleton and Burns.

The Red Lion Invitational in Pendleton on December 21 included 19 squads from throughout Central and Eastern Oregon.

The Outlaws ended up placing 11th, with 61 points. Scorers at the tournament included Tyson Kemp, who came through with a fifthplace finish in the 132-pound weight class. Hayden Kunz went 3-1 to place third in the 145-pound division and Ben Cooper made it to the championship match at 152, before losing to champion Hunter Kemper by fall at the 2:57 mark.

Brooklyn Cooper was the highest-placing Outlaw at Pendleton, as she won her division.

Burns racked up 261 points to demolish the team competition, outdistancing runner-up Hood River Valley by nearly 100 points.

At the Woodfin-Robinson Memorial Tournament in Burns on December 30, Hayden Kunz led the way with 21.5 points for the Outlaws as they scored 67.5 points to place eighth among the twelve schools competing. Once again it was the host Hilanders who squashed the rest of the teams, piling up 268 points.

Kunz made his way to the championship round with a fall over Sotelo-Diaz of Nyssa and a 17-2 decision over Mason Benge of Grant Union before succumbing to Carter Lardy of Burns by fall at the 3:01 mark.

Ben Cooper scored major decisions over Jack Strong of Grant Union and Tyler Clarkson of Madras before once again facing off against Hunter Kemper of Burns. Kemper, the reigning state champion, made short work of Cooper with a fall at the 0:56 second mark.

At this point in the season, Ben Cooper has made it to the finals at every match, placing second each time, according to Head Coach David Kemp.

Scott Henderson returned to action for the Outlaws and picked up third place, including an overtime victory over Raul Gonzalez in the final round in the 170-pound division.

“Scott came back strong for us and that final match was exciting and impressive,” said Kemp.

Tyson Kemp and Brennan Frutos both competed in the 132-pound weight class. Kemp lost by fall (3:01) to Jayvon Tovar of Madras, and lost a 15-6 major decision to Fabin Cruz of Madras in the consolation round.

Following a bye in the first round, Frutos lost to Giovanni Cartwright of Pine Eagle by fall (0:24), and then lost to Lucien Miller by fall (1:12) in the consolation round.

Brooklyn Cooper placed second in her division among girls at Burns.

“Our team is small but we consistently are getting our

kids in placement matches, and in finals in these big tournaments,” said Kemp.

The Outlaws were scheduled to host a home meet on

Tuesday, January 3 before traveling to Pleasant Hill on Saturday, January 7 for the annual King of the Hill tournament.

Scott Henderson battling at the tournament in Burns.

PHOTO PROVIDED

The Ranger’s Corner

Ian Reid Sisters District Ranger

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from all of us at the Sisters Ranger District!

We saw some amazing conservation work get accomplished last year, and we look forward to continuing that spirit of service in 2023. One new project we are excited to begin is the Cougar Rock restoration project north of Sisters, near Stephens Canyon and Garrison Butte. This is an important strategic location to keep wildfire out of Sisters and private inholdings close to city limits. The project aims to reduce fuels through thinning, mowing, and prescribed burning on about 2,800 acres, as well as closing unauthorized trails and routes that fragment wildlife habitat. We are accepting public comments regarding this project proposal until January 30 and are interested in what you all think about it. Feel free to learn more about the project and submit feedback here: https://www.fs.usda. gov/project/?project=63319. We are also soliciting comments until January 30 on a proposal to authorize tree and vegetation clearing along an 11-mile section of overhead powerline between Sisters and Black Butte Ranch. More information is available here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/ project/?project=63305.

Both the Cougar Rock

restoration and the powerline clearing project align with the U.S. Forest Service’s 10-year wildfire crisis strategy, which aims to protect communities and critical infrastructure from uncharacteristic wildfire risk. Another key element to that strategy is having a well-trained, safe, and effective wildfire responder workforce. To that end, there is one more opportunity rapidly approaching to apply for temporary summer firefighter and other important jobs including dispatcher, recreation, timber, and wildlife across Central Oregon. Applications will be accepted online from January 12 to 19. See https:// www.fs.usda.gov/workingwith-us/jobs/temporary or call the Sisters Ranger Station for more information. And if you are a student between 16 and 18 years old, please inquire about working outside on District projects this summer as part of a Heart of Oregon crew.

Winter is prime time for planning projects prior to the busy field season. We are engaging with stakeholders on a watershed restoration plan in the Indian Ford Watershed, a key tributary to Whychus Creek. We are also assessing adding new trails to our non-motorized trail system and will commence that public engagement process in the spring. We will also be partnering with the Homeless Leadership Council and Deschutes County to participate in the annual Point in Time count in late January to help inventory homeless activity and needs adjacent to Sisters.

Winter is also a busy time

for outdoor recreation. A recent expedition to upper Three Creek Sno-Park revealed a mix of happy snowmobilers, Nordic skiers, and snowshoers. And between our front office staff and our local vendors, almost 3,500 Christmas tree permits were sold around the holidays. That’s a lot of happy families creating lasting memories on their public lands.

We have had several staffing changes recently on the Sisters Ranger District. Lauren DuRocher has accepted a promotion as supervisory natural resource team leader. Chris Bogan has taken over as the District silviculturist. Luke Garcia was promoted to the fuels planner while Jeremy Gottfried accepted a promotion as the fuels battalion chief. Ryan Gregg has accepted the fire operations specialist and Neil Fair the wildland fire module captain. We wish Sommer Moyer a fond farewell as she moves on to a virtual promotion and thank her for her 13 years of commitment as the District special use permit administrator. And we congratulate Bill Ham, a land surveyor who has hiked hundreds of miles of boundary line in Central Oregon, as he retires after 46 years of federal service!

Finally, all of us at the Sisters Ranger District wish Nancy Connolly the best as she retires from Sisters City Council (The Nugget, December 20). Her steady leadership on many partnerships between the City of Sisters and Forest Service was key to their success.

Take care, and we hope 2023 finds you well.

The Bunkhouse Chronicle, “SBFFTXMLB+” demonstrated just the opposite, spewing venom at the accused, inner city poverty, climate action, gun control, and the media. Positive change doesn’t happen from spewing venom and damnation. I’m glad I read “I want you to know.”

Shera Felde

Age friendly

To the Editor:

The Sisters High School choir and band under the direction of outstanding music teachers proved that Sisters is still dedicated to being an age-friendly community. They performed with amazing talent and love toward the age-65-plus attendants of the Tuesday luncheon at the Community Church on December 13, 2022. Students shared warm greetings and deep conversations with the elders. For all ages these were renewing encounters that are rare in most communities, but not in Sisters Age-Friendly Country.

My husband and I are rescued from social isolation by these Tuesday get-togethers provided by Council on Aging that include visiting with friends, organized games, entertainment, exercise, and a nutritious lunch, expertly served by friendly, caring volunteers. Elders are invited to join us each Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sisters Community Church, 1300 W. McKenzie Hwy.

JoAn Power

Historical Society volunteers honored…

Volunteers for the Three Sisters Historical Society and the Sisters History Museum were honored at a holiday gathering on December 15 at the Old House next to FivePine. Over the past few years, volunteers have served as docents in the museum, conducting oral history interviews, processing donations, book sales/purchases/ organization, bookkeeping, data entry, special event organization and participation, newsletter preparation, grant writing, internships, exhibit research and preparation, technology upgrades, and other tasks as they arise.

PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD

By Katy Yoder Correspondent

Maddie Siler was a horsecrazy kid with dreams to rescue and train a mustang. When her family lived in the Sacramento suburbs, she saw an article about mustangs being captured and held in Bureau of Land Management (BLM) corrals, and she begged her parents to put a round pen in their tiny backyard. The answer was no for many years, but eventually, after her family relocated to Oregon and Siler was a freshman in high school, she finally got her first horse. It wasn’t a mustang, but it gave her the opportunity to learn how to train a horse. Her desire to save a mustang never wavered and she knew, someday, she’d make it happen.

Even with a busy schedule working and going to school at OSU Cascades, Siler recently joined a hardy group of horse people in a training competition organized by the nonprofit Teens & Oregon Mustangs. The challenge was started ten years ago to help save some of the mustangs captured by the BLM to manage herd sizes on public lands.

Siler is quick to point out that she understands the difficult situation surrounding managing mustang populations.

“I’m a huge advocate for the BLM and what they do for the horses. They take awesome care of them and do the best they can given the parameters,” said Siler.

Busy training and competing on her own horse as well as coaching the Sisters High School Equestrian Drill Team, Siler knew the time was right to get involved.

“I decided to do the Mustang Challenge this year because I’m going into nursing school in 2023, which will be a full-time job plus some. This is my last opportunity to do it for a while,” she said.

Now 20 years old, Siler applied to adopt a mustang in the adult riding division of the competition. The horses in the riding division are all mares from different herd management areas (HMA) including Palomino Butte, Stinking Water, Beaty Butte, and Hog Creek. Trainers pick their horses in the order their application was received. Siler was 28th out of 38 applicants and was worried the horse she wanted would be gone by the time they got to her number. Luckily for Siler, the mare she wanted was still available.

“She didn’t have the best pictures, but I had the chance to go there and see her and knew she was a nicely built

mare about 14.3 hands, and pretty stout,” said Siler.

Siler was notified on November 14 that she was accepted into the program. She and her mother, Theresa Siler, drove to the BLM holding pens in Burns on December 3, to pick up her horse. The beautiful chestnut mare had a thick white stripe down the front of her face and a tag hanging around her neck with the number 7302. When Siler approached her, she was restrained in a squeeze chute, and terrified of what was happening to her.

“When we first walked up, she got really scared and reared up and tried to escape over the top of the chute. Then she tried kicking at us through the panels. Thankfully, they’re over six feet tall and made of heavy metal and built to deal with scared mustangs, but it was my very first impression of her,” said Siler.

Siler’s concerns about the horse she’d chosen were soon calmed.

“When they let her out of the squeeze and encouraged her to head into our trailer, she was very calm and walked forward like she’d done it a million times. Given her reaction in the squeeze, I was expecting her to either bolt out or refuse to move, but she took it like an old pro,” said Siler.

The next defining moment came when the mare, who Siler named Lola, was released from her stock trailer into an enclosure.

“When we got back to Sisters and let her into the round pen, she walked out of the trailer slowly. She got to the end of the round pen, stopped, and just looked around for about five minutes, taking everything in.”

Once again, Lola’s world had completely changed.

About a month has passed since Lola arrived at the Silers’. At first, she refused to make eye contact with Siler, choosing to stand still and look away instead.

“In my opinion, it was Lola wanting to ignore the problem in hopes it would go away,” Siler said. “To coun teract it, I focused my training on releasing the pressure when she looked at me. This taught her to face her problems head-on instead of in fear.”

Siler considers December 5th their breakthrough day.

“I was up early cleaning her run before I went to work. I didn’t have a lot of time to work with her, so I just continued being a calm presence. Ignoring her piqued her curiosity enough that she gave in and decided to walk up to me! I didn’t want to scare her, so

I stopped what I was doing and stood still without looking up,” said Siler. “I could hear her taking small steps in my direction, then (pausing) to sniff the air. It was a repetitive cycle of step and sniff before she stretched out her nose and started to wiggle her lip on my jacket.”

Over the next few weeks, Lola was gently taught to accept a blanket, the touch of a pole on her body, and eventually being brushed all over. During two training sessions, Siler successfully saddled and even got on her back for short, confidence-building

rides.

The following month will require more rides, desensitization to being around other riders, learning how to exercise on a long-line and accepting a bit. We’ll check in with Siler and get an update on Lola’s progress over the next month.

Siler’s training will give Lola the chance to start a new life after she’s bought at

a live auction held on March 26th. Before the auction, there’s a riding competition at the Northwest Horse Fair & Expo at the Linn County Expo Center in Albany March 24 –26. To see Lola’s progress, follow her on her Facebook page, Maddie’s Oregon Mustang: https:// www.facebook.com/profile. php?id=100087582080528.

Maddie Siler has taken on the Mustang Challenge.

PHOTO PROVIDED

With such a large territory to cover, the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District may appear to employ a larger force than it actually does. There are a total of 15 paid staff, 13 full-time and two part-time. Nine are shift responders, plus the chief and deputy chief, each of whom are, of course, fully engaged in action as needed.

Your first question may be the same as mine: How can only nine frontline workers cover an area from Camp Sherman to Sisters to Squaw Creek? And do it 24/7/365? They can’t. It takes volunteers — a lot of them.

“Volunteer staff includes an average of 38 firefighter/ EMS (six EMS-only), 37 Fire Corps, and eight resident volunteers,” said Julie Spor, executive assistant to the District.

Let’s break that down.

Resident volunteer: The District offers individuals 18 years and up the opportunity to apply for the Fire/ EMS Resident Volunteer Program designed to promote knowledge of the basic operating principles of the fire and emergency medical services through day-to-day operations, hands-on experience, and actual classroom time. Resident volunteers

are trained in the principles of firefighting, fire prevention, fire control, rescue, and emergency medical services.

Fire Corps: If you love helping people, but no longer think running into burning buildings or climbing into the back of an ambulance is your cup of tea, the Fire Corps program may be a perfect fit. Fire Corps volunteers provide compassionate support to victims of emergencies and support the firefighters by providing food and drinks during extended fire operations. Fire Corps volunteers also provide fire prevention, public education, and community service programs within the communities of Sisters and Camp Sherman.

The range of volunteers is impressive. Like Jeff Lake, 54, who lives in Camp Sherman and is employed in RV manufacturing as a regional account manager. I asked him why he volunteers, what’s in it for him:

“What motivated me was when a little over three years ago my 22-year-old son, Connor, went missing and we had 400-plus people and several planes looking for him. Sadly, he died by suicide on top of Cache Mountain. Feeling the ultimate emotion of hopelessness and overwhelmed with all the help from my community, I was asked about being a volunteer.

“I had to say yes. I’ve learned in life these key things that have been taught to me by mentors — be kind to others, the one who forgives first wins, and find a

way to be of love and service. I love the sense of brotherhood and the support and love from other people from the department. I travel a lot and get peace of mind knowing I have other firefighters that would help my wife/daughter at a moment’s notice if needed when I’m out of town.”

I don’t know about you, but if I had an emergency I’d be darned grateful if Lake was there.

Ben Duda, 47, is another skilled volunteer, typical of them all in many ways. He’s in his fifth year of volunteering for the District in a captain’s role both as firefighter and EMT. His day job is unit forester for the Oregon Department of Forestry Prineville-Sisters District.

“I worked with SistersCamp Sherman Fire for years in my ODF role and my office used to be next door to the main station there,” he said. “I really got to know the agency and the culture they have built within themselves and in the community.

“Watching them roll out the door from my office window for years before ODF moved out to the current Highway 126 location left me wondering what I could do to help. It wasn’t long after that Chief Craig heard that my family and I had moved closer to town he started luring me over with coffee and encouraging me to sign up.

So it’s really two reasons for me. One from the heart. A desire to be able to help, to know what to do on someone’s worst day. And two,

professionally as a wildland fire manager, I wanted to learn more about the structural fire and EMS perspectives. It was the spring after the Millie Fire and the California 2017 Thomas Fire, which I was sent to as part of an ODF taskforce, I signed up as a volunteer in Sisters. I was later sent to the Camp Fire in the fall of 2018, which destroyed much of Paradise, California, and I’m finding my ‘dual discipline’ training to be very helpful.”

Duda had this response when I asked him what is the most rewarding part of his service: “Training new volunteers is the greatest. Especially when you see the moment something clicks for a recruit after being frustrated with a task and they

nail it. That’s magical for me. Volunteers pour their hearts and their time into serving their community with the Department and it’s hard to put into words what it feels like to be a part of that. It’s such an incredible team and uplifting culture that’s been built here in Sisters.”

There are three rotating shifts in the District for paid staff — A, B, and C. Each is a period of 48 hours on and 96 hours off. The average tenure for paid personnel is 9.8 years, and all nine full-time first responders can perform either firefighting or EMS roles. That’s reassuring.

Want to volunteer? Karla Cross-Green is the recruitment and retention coordinator and can be reached at 541-549-0771.

Bill Bartlett Columnist

Campbell Clarke (left) has two years of service as a Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District volunteer. Solomon Byles has been on board for seven months. Volunteers play a critical role in staffing the Fire District.

PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT

Stars over Sisters

By Kaleb Woods/Dominic Martinez Columnists

The highlighted constellation for January is Camelopardalis, the celestial giraffe. Although the constellation is relatively large, its resident stars are exceedingly faint.

Choose a clear, moonless night away from the glare of nearby lights. First locate Polaris (the North Star) at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper. Next find the bright star Capella in Auriga, which is nearly overhead at about 9 p.m. local time. Starting from Capella, draw an imaginary line to Polaris. About a third of the distance along this line is the constellation’s brightest star, Beta Camelopardalis. The third brightest luminary is Alpha Camelopardalis, which lies about halfway between Capella and Polaris. It marks the base of the giraffe’s neck and the top of the front leg.

Because stargazers in ancient Greece believed the part of the sky where Camelopardalis resides was empty, there is no associated mythology. The constellation wasn’t even established until 1613, when Dutch-Flemish astronomer Petrus Plancius created it. Camelopardalis became recognized in 1624, when Jakob Bartsch, a German astronomer from Poland, featured it in his star atlas.

While there is a long list of deep-sky objects in Camelopardalis, the vast majority of them are dim galaxies. A notable exception is the Oyster Nebula, a planetary nebula located between the giraffe’s legs. The expanding shell of gas and dust was created by a hot, rapidly pulsating central star in the late stage of

its life. Appearing as a bright orange dot at the center of the glowing cloud, the star looks like a pearl in a large celestial oyster, giving the object its name. It lies at a distance of 4,240 light-years.

Perhaps the most interesting galaxy in Camelopardalis is IC342. It is a beautiful face-on spiral galaxy that is currently undergoing a strong burst of star formation. Despite being a respectable threequarters the size of our own Milky Way galaxy, and lying only 10 million light-years away, IC342 doesn’t appear as bright as it should. The reason for this is that obscuring dust in the Milky Way is blocking/scattering light from this galaxy. Were it not for this dimming effect, IC342 would be one of the finest and brightest spiral galaxies in the sky and easily visible to the unaided eye from a dark location.

Four of the five nakedeye planets still roam the evening skies. The brightest of these are Jupiter, currently in Pisces (look to the southwest), and ruddy Mars riding high in Taurus. Venus is also bright, but at the beginning of the month it stands only 9 degrees above the horizon 20 minutes after sunset. Though Saturn is still

visible, the sun continues to creep ever closer to the ringed planet. On January 22 Venus and Saturn will be in conjunction, at which time the two planets will appear separated by less than half a degree in the sky.

Uranus in Aries and Neptune in Aquarius are evening objects too but can’t be seen without optical aid. Meanwhile, Mercury has pulled a disappearing act. It will materialize in the morning sky later in the month.

As the moon cycles through its phases in January, the waxing orb brightens evening skies both early and late in the month; darker skies will prevail by the middle of the month. The Full Wolf Moon arrives on January 6, followed by last quarter on January 14, new moon on January 21, and first quarter on January 28.

Although for most of us the holiday season ends after New Year’s Day, many will continue to display their decorative lights well into January. This month’s dark-sky tip is to use timers on these lights. This adaptive control measure saves energy and avoids unnecessary light pollution. Simply set outdoor lights to turn off before you go to bed.

The Oyster Nebula is a planetary nebula located 4,240 light-years away in the constellation of Camelopardalis.

PHOTO COURTESY HST/NASA

LAKES:

Sisters Garden Club would like to invite everyone to attend their January 14 meeting , and hear guest speaker Pattie Apregan, who will discuss how to grow a European garden. Doors open at 9 a .m. and the meeting begins at 9:30 . It will be held at Sisters Community Church, 130 0 W. Mckenzie Hw y. ey would love to see you . For information call 97124 6-0404

COPY O ers Mentoring Class

Central Oregon Partnerships for Youth, a program of the Deschutes Count y Sheri ’s O ce, is o ering a class to prepare volunteers to become mentors for children with an incarcerated parent. Af ter initial training and comprehensive background checks, volunteers are matched with a child in and around Sisters that shares similar interests and activities, and commits to spending a few hours a week together for a minimum of one year. On Saturday, January 14, COPY will o er a volunteer training. is three-hour class will cover program policies, a Q&A f rom a current volunteer, how to establish a mentor relationship, the impact incarceration has on families , communication skills , and the stages of a mentoring relationship. ere is no cost to attend, but advanced registration is required . Light snack s and refreshments provided . For more information, call 541388- 6651

Americ an Legion and VFW Meeting Wednesday, January 4, 6:30 p.m. at e Hangar, 15211 W. McKinney Butte Rd . Members are invited to attend . Call L ance Trowbridge, 541-233-8399

Hunter Education Class Starts Februar y 7, 2023 . For information call Rick Cole 541-420- 6934.

Fre e Lunches For Seniors e Council on Aging of Central Oregon is ser ving seniors (60+) f ree Grab-N- Go lunches on Wednesdays and ursdays each week . e lunches are distributed on a first come, first ser ved basis , drive-through style f rom 12 to 12:30 p.m. at the Sisters Communit y Church 130 0 W Mckenzie Hwy. Seniors may drive through the parking lot and pick up a meal each day of ser vice. Come on by, no need to make a reser vation For more information call 541797-9367

Sisters Cold Weather Shelter Winter Meals

Sisters Cold Weather Shelter is unable to o er overnight shelter this year. ey will be o ering hot meals twice a week at the following locations through Februar y: Mondays 2-4 p.m. at Wellhouse Church, 222 N. Trinity Way; ursdays 2-4 p.m. at Sisters Communit y Church, 130 0 McKenzie Hwy. Email sisterscoldweathershelter@ gmail.com for more info. Parkinson’s Suppor t Group Are you a person experiencing Parkinson’s disease (PD) or a care partner/f amily member desiring to better support your loved one with PD? We invite you to join our support group to experience friendship, shared experiences, and a better underst anding of PD. Please join us the second ursday of the month 1-2:30 p.m . at the Sisters Library, 110 N . Cedar St. Sisters . For more information contact Carol Pfeil, program coordinator of Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon, 541-6 68-6599 or carol@parkinsonsresources.or

Fre e Weekly Meal Ser vice Family Kitchen is hosting a weekly to-go hot meal ser vice on Tuesdays f rom 4:30 to 6 p.m . at Sisters Community Church, 130 0 W. McKenzie Hw y. For more information visit www.FamilyKitchen .org

Weekly Food Pantr y e Wellhouse Church will have a weekly food pantr y on ursdays at 4:30 p.m. (222 N. Trinity Way) Both drive-through pick-up and shopping-st yle distribution are available. Call 541-549-4184 for information.

Sisters Careg iver Support Facilitated support group for caregivers of those with chronic or life-shor tening diseases. Meets the 3rd Tuesday of ever y month at Sisters Episcopal Church , 10 a.m. to 11:30 a .m. Call Kay at 541-719- 0031

apartments and condos.

The property has been owned by the Cyrus family for many years. They are the original builders of Aspen Lakes in 1992 and the adjoining Golf Estates residences, which are not included in the proposed transaction.

When the deal was announced in September, Matt Cyrus said he expected the sale to close in October, possibly November. Now in a statement posted on Facebook on December 29, Cyrus tells golf members that the deal is still pending.

Cindy Wyant, Rhue CEO, told The Nugget on December 30 that they made the decision to pull back on the NFT membership drive amidst the worldwide turmoil surrounding the FTX debacle.

Bitcoin and Etherium, two of the world’s most widely held cyrptos, lost two-thirds of their value in 2022, $1 trillion in combined worth.

Authorities in the Bahamas arrested FTX co-founder and former CEO Sam BankmanFried. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revealed the multiple sets of charges he’ll face.

Nick has so many wonder ful qualities , but just like people, has his own individual personalit y. He may not be the dog for everyone, but he will be the per fect dog for someone. If you are interested in and are willing to provide a patient, enriching life for this sweet and wonderf ul dog , check Nick out at HSCO today!

Francois’ Workshop 541-549-0605 541-815-0624

Rhue initially marketed the Aspen Lakes resort project as a luxury adventure resort accessible through purchasing an NFT membership. NFT is short for non-fungible tokens, cryptographic tokens that can come in a variety of forms. Examples include ownership of luxury or rare items. Each NFT is truly unique and cannot be replicated or replaced. Often, NFTs represent digital ownership of something, such as a piece of digital art. In other instances, they can be representative of a physical item, such as real estate property or memberships.

Using smart contracts, NFTs essentially remove the middlemen — brokers, attorneys — and extra paperwork associated with buying a home, condo, or membership. Of appeal to users, ownership is in perpetuity. No annual renewal process is required and ownership can be easily handed down to family members.

Baha’i Faith

Chapel in the Pines

Camp Sherman • 541-549-9971

10 a .m. Sunday Worship

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (ELCA) 386 N . Fir Street • 5 41-549-5831

10 a .m. Sunday Worship www.shepherdof thehillslutheranchurch.com

St . Edward the Mar tyr Roman Catholic Churc h 123 Trinit y Way • 541-549-9391

5:3 0 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass 9 a .m. Sunday Mass • 8 a .m. Monday-Friday Mass

e Church of Jesus Christ of L at ter-Day Saint s 452 Trinit y Way • Branch President, 541-420 -5670;

10 a .m. Sunday Sac rament Meeting

Calvar y Church 484 W. Washing ton St , Ste. C & D • 541-588-6288

10 a .m. Sunday Worship • www.ccsisters.org

Seventh-Day Adventist Church 386 N . Fir St. • 541-595-6770, 541-306 -8303 11 a .m. S aturday Worship

Currently Zoom meetings: devotions , course trainings , informational firesides. Local contac t Shauna Rocha 541- 647-9826 • www.bahai.org or www.bahai.us

Wellhouse Churc h 442 Trinit y Way • 541-549-4184 ht tps://wellhousechurch.churchcenter.com

10 a .m. Sunday Worship

e Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration 68825 Bro ok s Camp Rd. • 541-549-7087 8:30 a .m. Ecumenical Sunday Worship 10 :15 a .m. Episcopal Sunday Worship www.episcopalsisters.com

Sisters Church of the N az arene 67130 Har ring ton Loop Rd . • 541-389-8960 www.sistersnaz .org • info@sistersnaz .org 10 a .m. Sunday Worship

Sisters Communit y Church (Nondenominational) 130 0 W. McKenzie Hwy. • 541-549-1201 9:30 a .m. Sunday Worship www.sisterschurch.com • info@sisterschurch.com

The recent collapse of FTX shook the world of cryptocurrency. FTX was a major cryptocurrency exchange, whose customers have lost between $1 and $2 billion in value, putting a damper on the entire crypto market and tarnishing the underlying blockchain technology.

Those were quickly followed by another civil lawsuit filed by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and, finally, criminal charges filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

The criminal charges include eight counts that cover allegations of wire fraud against customers and those who lent money to his firms, securities fraud, and money laundering.

Rhue’s ambitious plans were leading-edge in resort ownership, although a price reduction from the original membership offering of $15,000 to $9,500 indicates market resistance. Purchasers always had the option to buy memberships with cash, but Rhue was aggressively committed to the new digital world of NFTs to solicit memberships.

The FTX collapse, and the resulting worldwide skepticism around cryptocurrency and NFTs, appears to have led to Rhue not being able to raise sufficient capital via the NFT route.

Wyant said, “We made a decision to pull back on NFT membership during all the FTX drama. We are looking to fund it with traditional financing. I am working on that now and hope to close by March at the latest.”

When contacted to get the sellers’ take on the postponement, Matt Cyrus said: “I don’t have anything to add to the Aspen Lakes story.”

ASPEN

Pulling back on NFT membership drive

We made a decision to pull back on NFT membership during all the FTX drama.

We are looking to fund it with traditional financing.

— Cindy Wyant

Sisters Garden Club Hos ts Guest Speaker

By Katy Yoder Columnist

The view from my writing room looks out on Greenridge, Black Butte, Mt. Jefferson, and our American flag on a gray flagpole just above the barn. I look at the flag often and for many reasons. It shows which way the wind’s blowing and reminds me of the service my father and husband gave to our country. I think about my relatives, male and female, who have served more recently, or are still in service to our country. I am filled with gratitude. I look at the flag and think of them and the potential our nation has to live up to what the Founding Fathers wrote so long ago. I see the missteps and injustices too. I remember, with all our faults and foibles, we are still the best place to live on earth, with the best government to live freely.

Last weekend, as we drove into Redmond, a jacked-up white pickup turned left in front of us. There was an American flag flapping and snapping in the wind. Mom commented on it and wondered why someone would carry a flag around while they’re driving. As he finished his turn, a Confederate flag flew next to the American flag. The man drove away with his flags, leaving behind a message about where his allegiances were. I felt sad, frustrated, angry, and disappointed.

I thought about the semantics of the American flag… what it means to me and what it may mean to him. I look at the red, white, and blue and think about the best our country can be. That our nation is just beginning to truly offer liberty and justice for all, regardless of skin color, religion, sexual orientation, or creed. The meaning of the flag for him is probably vastly different. When I see an American flag smacking in the wind in the back of a truck, I think of freedoms being taken away. When I see a Confederate flag flying next to it — the flag that represented an effort focused on the dissolution of the United States and the continuation of slavery, I’m more convinced of my interpretation.

That being said, I understand my interpretation may be wrong. I haven’t spoken to the person flying the flag in the bed of their truck. I don’t know them or their reasons for flying the colors.

It reminds me of an experience I had while covering the George Floyd Memorial event in Village Green Park

on July 26, 2020. The people gathered there were honoring a life lost under horrendous circumstances. There were American flags flying for that event, too. As I listened to a speaker, I saw a heavy-duty, white pickup parked on the far side of the park. A man behind the wheel had a cowboy hat on. A woman sat next to him. I wondered why they were there, and hoped they meant the people in the park no harm. I made an assumption about their vehicle and clothing. When the event was over, they got out of the truck and walked directly toward me.

As they got closer, I recognized them and felt equal parts relief and guilt. The woman was my cousin, the man her husband. They were family. People I knew weren’t there to harm anyone. My cousin’s husband said, “I hope you weren’t wondering why we were sitting in the truck. I didn’t want to scare anybody with my hat and truck, especially after what happened in Portland earlier.”

I thanked him for his consideration, and we sat down at a picnic table and got caught up. That situation brought home how important it is to not make assumptions that take away the possibility there’s another reason for what I’m seeing.

A friend of mine said to me many years ago that she didn’t like seeing white supremacists use the flag as a representation of their beliefs. She said, “It’s my flag too.” That hit home

for me. I don’t want to see the American flag flown by deluded white supremacists and feel anger toward it. While I respect the American flag, I don’t worship it. It’s a symbol for our nation and its citizens, both veterans, soldiers, and those who choose not to fight. I refuse to allow the flag to be hijacked by some and its meaning changed to fit ideals that slam the country in reverse.

We are a hopeful nation because we are willing and capable of change. The flag has flown for hundreds of years, and its meaning has changed as we’ve changed. I will continue to look ahead to an even better state of our union. The flag represents resiliency, justice, pride, and humility. I will continue to look at our flag and remember my husband’s footsteps up our entryway when he returned from a mission during the Iraq War. I will see my father’s service on a destroyer during the Korean War and my nephews’ service in the Coast Guard, Navy, and Air Force. That’s what makes me proud of our flag… no matter who else uses it in hopes of pulling us backward.

Just as my face speaks words without a sound, so do the flag and other symbols. I wish for this generation, and those to come, a country where their flag means freedom, justice, and liberty… but most of all love of our country and each other. That means transmuting our differences into shared visions for a safer, healthier, and loving nation for all. It won’t

be easy. Even as gun violence broke through the veil of safety we might have felt in Central Oregon, I know this nation works best when there’s an immense problem

to solve. That opportunity is now. And as we achieve that goal, the flag and our faces will reflect a sense of pride and hope for a promising, healthier future for all.

Katie Yoder many years ago, on Topper at a Morgan horse show.

PHOTO PROVIDED

SUBDIVISION:

Changes came from citizen input

additional oral testimony regarding this proposal. Submittal of additional written information to be considered is limited to specific open record periods.

During Open Period No. 1, the City received four citizen submittals, a letter from the attorney representing George Hale and Woodhill Homes (developer of Sunset Meadows), and the revised plans and supplemental materials from engineer Hayes McCoy representing the applicant. Those materials can be found at https://www.ci.sisters.or.us/ community-developent/page/ sunset-meadows-masterplan-record. The record is also available for inspection at Sisters City Hall.

The revised proposal reduces the total number of lots, increases the internal open space, adds a buffer along the north lot line next to the neighboring Pines subdivision, increases the internal open space, adds internal pedestrian circulation, and other changes, all of which were requested by citizens who testified at the public hearings.

Open Record Period No. 2 closes on January 5, at 4:30 p.m. This is an opportunity for any participant to submit responses to new evidence submitted during Open Period No. 1.

Open Record Period No. 3 allows only the applicant to submit final written arguments in support of the application. This opportunity can be waived by the applicant. Submittal deadline is January 12, at 4:30 p.m.

Written evidence and testimony may be provided to Sisters City Hall at 520 E. Cascade Ave. (mailing address PO Box 39, Sisters, OR 97759), or emailed to mmartin@ci.sisters.or.us

Comments should be directed toward the criteria that the Planning Commission will use to make their decision and must reference the file numbers MP 22-01/SUB 22-01/MNR 22-02.

The applicant is requesting approval of a master plan, tentative subdivision plat, and a minor partition on a 12.92acre property in the multifamily residential district (MFR). The address of the property is 15510 McKenzie Hwy., Sisters.

The revised proposed Master Plan includes:

• 36 lots for detached single-family dwellings (original proposal included 22 lots).

• 24 lots for attached townhome single-family dwellings (original proposal included 48 lots).

• One parcel for approximately 72-124 MFR units — apartments.

• Approximately 3.17 acres of open space.

• Associated infrastructure (streets, utilities) and other site improvements.

The Planning Commission meetings are accessible to the public either in person or via Zoom online meeting. Meeting information, including the Zoom link, can be found at https://www. ci.sisters.or.us/meetings. Portions of the public hearing before the Planning Commission were held on October 20, November 3, and December 8, 2022, and are available for viewing on the meetings site.

For more information, contact Matthew Martin, principal planner, at 541-3235208 or mmartin@ci.sisters. or.us.

Sisters housing market cools off

By Bill Bartlett Correspondent

The fourth quarter of 2022 saw a significant cooling off of the residential real estate market when compared to the same quarter in 2021. For 2022 there were only 59 sales that closed, for a total value of $51.48 million, between October 1 and December 31. That compares to 84 homes sold in the same period in 2021 for an aggregate of $66.53 million.

November of 2022 was particularly difficult for realtors, with only 17 sales. December rebounded a bit with 20 sales, three of $1 million or more, half the number in December of 2021. Sales are off dramatically in all ranges.

Average home prices for the quarter improved, however. In 2021 the average for homes sold in the fourth quarter was $794,213. For the quarter just ended the average sales price was $872,159.

It is the median price, however, that matters to realtors. Last quarter’s median sales price was $701,632 as compared to $696,333 for

2021, nearly identical, meaning prices remain surprisingly high for units sold. For all of Deschutes County the November median price was $647,500, with Sisters outpacing the market by some $53,000 per unit.

In November the median for all of Oregon was $515,000 from Redfin data.

It takes much longer to sell a home, with the number of days on the market growing to 39 in 2022 compared to 14 in 2021.

The price per square foot has not changed much — $355 last month versus $344 in December of 2021. This despite the fact that lumber has declined 66.45% after being up 52.9% in 2021 and 77.3% in 2020.

Labor is still tight and it’s taking eight to nine months to finish a 2,400-square-foot custom home when it took six months in 2019.

According to Bloomberg News , new U.S. home construction continued to decline in November, and permits plunged as high borrowing costs paired with widespread inflation eroded housing affordability and demand.

Residential starts decreased 0.5 percent to a 1.43 million annualized rate, according to government data released Tuesday, December 27. Single-family home building dropped to an annualized 828,000 rate, the lowest since May 2020.

Applications to build, a proxy for future construction, decreased 11.2 percent to an annualized 1.34 million units. Permits for construction of single-family homes fell 7.1 percent to the weakest pace since 2020.

There are 82 properties for sale in Sisters Country, including 19 homes listed at over $1 million. Land prices remain high, with a 3,485-square-foot lot on East Black Butte Avenue offered at $175,000; 0.86 acre on Golden Stone for $339,000, and 0.52 acre on Schooner for $299,000.

Of the nine “apartments” for rent Sunday, there were only two were classic apartments – a 440-square-foot, one-bedroom unit for $1,150/ month and a 663-square-foot, one-bedroom for $1,375/ month. The other seven were homes ranging from $2,300 to $6,000/month.

Awash in illegal marijuana, Oregon looks at toughening laws

By Andrew Selsky Associated Press

SALEM (AP) — In 2014, Oregon voters approved a ballot measure legalizing recreational marijuana after being told it would eliminate problems caused by “uncontrolled manufacture” of the drug. Illegal production of marijuana has instead exploded.

Oregon lawmakers, who have heard complaints from police, legal growers, and others, are now looking at toughening laws against the outlaw growers. Oregon, one of the first states to legalize recreational marijuana, can be an object lesson for other states, including Maryland and Missouri, where voters legalized weed on Nov. 8. That raised the number of states that have approved marijuana’s recreational use to 21.

So far this year, police have seized over 105 tons (95 metric tons) of illegally grown marijuana in Oregon, according to the OregonIdaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force. That’s up from at least 9 tons (8 metric tons) in 2019.

The indoor and outdoor grows use massive amounts of water in drought-stricken areas, contaminate the environment, and employ migrant

laborers who live in squalid conditions.

A draft bill for Oregon’s 2023 legislative session that begins January 17 would double the maximum prison sentence and fine — to 10 years in prison and $250,000 — for unlawful manufacture involving more than 100 plants and possession in excess of 32 times the legal limits. Personal possession limits in Oregon are 2 ounces (57 grams) of marijuana in a public place and 8 ounces (227 grams) in a home.

The measure also holds people accountable for environmental damage and prohibits use of water at locations not licensed for growing marijuana. Addressing immigrant labor, the draft bill makes it a crime for managers of an illegal grow site to confiscate a passport or immigration document, to threaten to report a person to a government agency for arrest or deportation, or withhold wages without lawful justification.

Some parts of Oregon have seen record seizures as police raid plantation after plantation. Police say foreign criminal gangs have become involved, from Mexico, Russia, China, and other countries.

A single raid in October

yielded 76,930 pounds (35,000 kilograms) of marijuana in Yamhill County, southwest of Portland, the largest pot bust on record in a county more renowned for its pinot noir wine.

“Investigators found the entire property had been converted to facilitate the growth, storage, processing, and packaging of marijuana to be shipped or transported out of the area,” the sheriff’s office said.

The street retail value of the marijuana in Oregon would be $76 million, while on the East Coast it would be worth $269 million, the sheriff’s office said.

Receipts at the property in rural Newberg, Oregon, showed wire transfers involving large amounts of money going from Oregon to the state of Michoacan in Mexico.

On October 25, Oregon State Police, including SWAT officers, raided a property in southern Oregon’s Jackson County that had pot growing in greenhouses. The officers destroyed about 1,000 pounds (450 kilos) of illegal, processed marijuana and found

the carcass of a black bear, along with firearms and three stolen vehicles.

The amount of illegal marijuana that law enforcement officers manage to intercept each year in Oregon is believed to be dwarfed by the uncounted tons that are smuggled out of state and sold for high profits.

The 2014 Oregon voters’ pamphlet said legalization of recreational marijuana would “eliminate the problems caused by the prohibition and

uncontrolled manufacture, delivery, and possession of marijuana within this state.”

Anthony Johnson, who was the chief petitioner for Ballot Measure 91, acknowledged that legalization — and the creation of a regulated industry from farm to customer — has not stemmed the illegal grows.

With recreational marijuana still being illegal federally as well as in many other states, Johnson said the problem won’t go away because of the high profit margin from selling on the black market in those states.

“I think that this is going to remain a problem until the federal government legalizes across the nation,” Johnson said in an interview on Tuesday.

He said, though, that authorities should act against the illegal growers in Oregon.

“Certainly, when unregulated grows are stealing water or using chemicals that shouldn’t be polluting our land, then it’s expected that the state and/or federal government is going to move in to enforce state law.”

CORRECTION

The story “Jeff Tryens — the people behind SPRD,” The Nugget, Dec. 21, page 17 , quoted the SPRD board

member incorrectly regarding a portion of his work history. Tryens was invited to join the board of the Portland Parks & Recreation Bureau; he was not head of that bureau.

Certainly, when unregulated grows are stealing water or using chemicals that shouldn’t be polluting our land, then it’s expected that the state and/or federal government is going to move in to enforce state law.

— Anthony Johnson

Your Story

MATTERS

Audry Van Houweling, PMHNP Columnist

The paradox of tolerance

In the world of mental health, we contend with the abstract intersections of nature versus nurture and what behaviors we have agency over versus those we may not. The role of accountability can be hard to define. How do we define who should “know better,” versus who should be excused? When the layers of trauma and struggle are excavated, and the context of a person’s defenses brought to the surface, bad behavior can be interpreted as remnants of survival. Where, then, does tolerance end and accountability begin? In our increasingly politically correct world, tolerance is seen as a popularized moral directive and yet, with the undercurrents of division in our society, intolerance of whole groups of people has become commonplace.

Accountability must have a launch pad. What constitutes this launching pad of morality is forever evolving. In a democracy, discerning and defining a reasonable constitution of overarching morality, policy, and law demands dialogue, careful judgment, and rational arguments. Unfortunately, in our current political and social landscape, constructive dialogue is lacking and the act of “reaching across” is infrequent.

We often approach politics with defensiveness as a way to protect ourselves from the “other,” and galvanize those most similar to us. We can assume in our state of division that those on the other side of the fence are unchangeable, or a lost cause, and forget that mindsets are complex, and often fragile. We preach a certain version of progress but often do not take the time to listen to those threatened or made uncertain by the progress we hope for. And in that stagnation and hesitancy, the basis for accountability dies, and the infrastructure of democracy crumbles. As the collective shies away from shaping the groundwork of accountability, there can be a trickledown effect from our governments to our communities, to our families, and to ourselves. In the absence of accountability, there is more room for

bad behavior, but even more concerning — apathy.

Apathy and unbridled tolerance are, in many ways, synonymous. Philosopher Karl Popper speaks of the paradox of tolerance: “Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.”

In other words, by standing too long on the pedestal of tolerance, and not coming together to define a collective basis of reasonable morality and accountability, we risk being overwhelmed by intolerance and roll out the red carpet for extremism and authoritarianism.

Whole communities have fallen victim to this phenomenon. Portland, the City of Roses, historically glorified by its trendy eccentricity, foodie scene, and natural beauty, is buckling under rising homelessness, unprecedented crime, vacant storefronts, and political missteps. Known for its attitude of progressive tolerance, so much citywide upheaval has finally led to collective pressure to better define the boundaries of this so-called tolerance. The idea of “live and let live” can be liberating as long as what we are asked to tolerate does not come at the expense of somebody else’s existence or well-being.

As a mental health professional, the concepts of radical responsibility and accountability are in no way in opposition to grace and understanding. Accountability is not punitive, and, in fact, communicates an investment of care and engagement on a personal, familial, community, and societal level. Promoting accountability promotes growth.

The intersection of tolerance and accountability is inevitably vague and will continue to be such in our non-dual world where the definitions of right and wrong are continually in flux.

Therefore, the health of our democracy is worth fighting for. When we can do the hard, but so very necessary, work of debating, dialoguing, and discerning the basis of accountability and boundaries of tolerance in our larger communities, we also benefit from greater clarity and growth on a personal level.

Let’s hope we can stay brave enough to keep coming together, as messy as it might be. In our country, fortified by a democracy emulated throughout the world, this turbulent and sometimes riotous persuasion and dialogue is, after all, our hallmark, our means to progress, and the backbone of our freedom.

Each week The Nugget delivers hyper-local news coverage of what matters to you and your neighbors... ...local government, land use, forestry, schools, environment, art & music scene, high school sports, business, and more.

Nugget is also

• Got thoughtful opinions you’d like to share? Submit a letter to the editor (300 words or less) to editor@nuggetnews.com. Have more to say than that? Discuss a guest editorial with Jim Cornelius.

•

•

Nugget staff (left to right): Leith Easterling, Vicki Curlett, Janice Hoffman, Jess Draper, Jim Cornelius, and Kit Tosello.

Governor appoints state Supreme Court judges

SALEM (AP) — Gov. Kate Brown said December 28, she is appointing two justices to the Oregon Supreme Court before she leaves office, which makes every justice on the state’s highest court a Brown appointee.

She is appointing Stephen Bushong and Bronson James to the high court. Brown, whose tenure as governor ends in less than a week, has appointed 112 judges during her time in office, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) reported.

Brown’s announcement also included an appointment to the Oregon Court of Appeals and two appointments to the Multnomah County Circuit Court.

“I have sought to appoint highly qualified individuals with deep connections to their communities, extensive courtroom experience, and professional and lived experiences that are representative of all of Oregon,” Brown said in an emailed statement.

Justices on Oregon’s high court serve six-year terms before facing election, although electoral challenges are rare.

Brown’s efforts will have a lasting impact on the high court and the state’s tax, trial, and appellate courts.

Since taking office in 2015, she has appointed 56 judges who are women, 55 who are men, and one who is nonbinary. Twenty-seven judges she appointed are people of color, two of whom are Native American, and eight who identify as LGBTQ.

“When I graduated from law school as a young lawyer, there was one woman on the (Oregon) Supreme Court,” Brown told OPB. “In my entire career, until I became governor, there were never more than two women on a seven-person court. Never more than two. And when I became governor, I changed that immediately.”

Bushong has been a judge on the Multnomah County Circuit Court since 2008 and will fill the position created by Justice Thomas Balmer’s retirement. Before becoming a judge, Bushong litigated civil cases at the Miller Nash law firm and with the Special Litigation Unit at the Oregon Department of Justice.

James has been a judge on the Court of Appeals since 2017 and will fill the spot of Chief Justice Martha Walters as she retires. Previously, James was an appellate public defender with the Oregon Office of Public Defense Services and represented injured plaintiffs, as well as criminal defendants at his own firm.

Brown is appointing

Megan Jacquot, currently a judge on the Coos and Curry County Circuit Courts since 2016, to the state Court of Appeals vacancy created by James moving to the state Supreme Court. Jacquot previously practiced as a juvenile defense attorney and appellate attorney in Coos Bay. She is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation and will be the first tribal member to serve on an appellate court in the state.

Bryan Francesconi, a public defender, and Rima Ghandour, a civil litigator, will fill the vacancies on the Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Oregon Supreme Court Justice Adrienne Nelson, the first Black judge on the state’s highest court, has been nominated as a federal judicial nominee by the Biden administration and is awaiting approval from the U.S. Senate.

arrested for trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl in November 2022.

According to law enforcement, after a multi-day surveillance operation, CODE detectives applied for, obtained, and executed a search warrant for Weston’s home on the 16700 block of Peterson Ridge Rd. at approximately 5 p.m. on Tuesday, December 27. Weston was contacted during a traffic stop on Highway 20 west, near Dayton Rd.

The initial investigation alleges that Weston stole dump trailers, a car trailer, side-by-side ATVs, a skid steer loader, a bucket loader, and a tractor from various locations around the Portland and Vancouver area over a two-month period. Weston then brought the stolen property to his home on Peterson Ridge Road, where

he obliterated serial numbers and painted the equipment to disguise it. Law enforcement reports that it appears he was later selling or renting the equipment for profit.

Estimated value of recovered equipment is $225,000.

Detectives, with the assistance of the construction equipment manufacturers, were able to locate secondary identifying information and match the equipment with the victims of the thefts. Detectives are still not able to match three of the dump trailers and a skid steer loader to the victims. Detectives believe these unclaimed items were stolen in the Portland metro area within the last two months.

Detective Jeff Pope may be contacted if you have any information about one of these unclaimed trailers, the skid steer loader, or if you have recently purchased anything from Weston. Detective Pope may be reached at 541388-6655. Reference case number 22-69589.

At the time of Weston’s arrest, CODE detectives

and DCSO deputies reportedly gathered and seized a commercial quantity of fake pharmaceutical tablets made of fentanyl. A “commercial quantity” is defined by statute as five grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl or any substituted derivative of fentanyl as defined by the rules of the Oregon Board of Pharmacy. This is not a separate criminal charge but rather an increase in the sentencing guidelines.

CODE detectives were assisted by Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Street Crimes Unit and deputies, Consolidated Towing, and 5G Equipment Rental.

Weston was lodged in the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Jail on charges of Aggravated Theft I; Possession of Stolen Vehicle (four counts); Trafficking in Vehicles with Destroyed or Altered Identification Numbers (seven counts); Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle (four counts); Unlawful Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance (Fentanyl).

WESTON: Sisters man was arrested recently on drug charge

SUDOKU EA SY PEA SY !

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down, and each small nine-box square contains all of the numbers from 1 to 9.

MATH SQU ARE

Use the numbers 1 through 16 to complete the equations. Each number is only used once. Each row is a math equation. Each column is a math equation. Remember that multiplication and division are performed before addition and subtraction.

Find words forward, backward, horizontally, or diagonally.

FIND 2 IDENTICAL PICTURE S

T

N P H N X E Y

T X A M J X L N Y L L C Z A P M I Q S T Q E U P A V O M M Q R Y L W R G V C A S O A D K P N Z T G B E A B B C

Lizzie McCr ystal is a le ader, whose goal is to help Sisters High School be the kind of place she wanted it to be when she was a lowerclassman. She takes on leadership roles “to make the school a more inviting communit y, and more unified.”

She’s president of the Astronomy Club, ASG Community Service Coordinator, a leader of Unit y Club, and participates in a variet y of other clubs. She’s also a track athlete, specializing in the throwing events

“I like to have a busy schedule, and it ’s fun to participate and get to know ever yone,” she said

McCr ystal thin ks it ’s important that there are connections between students of all grades — part of the inclusiveness and unit y she prizes

McCr ystal le ans toward math and science in her academics.

“Mathematics is my strong suit — or my preference,” she said

She plans to study business and finance in college. She said she has applied to several colleges but has not decided where she will go yet.

Wherever she goes, her eyes will be on the stars.

“I really love astronomy,” she said

“Lizzie McCrystal is such a great choice for December’s Student of the Month. She has continuously poured her heart into making SHS the most welcoming place that it can be

for everyone who is part of our school. Lizzie goes out of her way to be kind and thoughtful — and she does it all with a smile. Not only is Lizzie a great student academically, but she is a also simply a great human being. She has been such a gift to our school and our community. Congratulations, Lizzie! You truly show us all what it means to be an Outlaw!!” — Gail Greaney

“Lizzie is such an amazing part of our school! She is an integral leader in so many of our clubs, is a creative artist, and is kind and thoughtful to everyone around her Her intelligence adds so much to my classroom experiences.” — Bethany Gunnarson

“Lizzie built a guitar with me as a junior and I quickly realized how driven she can be to finish a project once she sets her mind on it. It is a joy to watch her work.” — Tony Cosby

“Lizzie is simply a wonderful human being. If you know Lizzie, then you have been positively impacted by her. As a student, she is determined and diligent. I think of a quote by David Sarnoff, “The will to persevere is often the difference between failure and success.” She continually gives her best and will not settle for less than a high-quality result. Most importantly, Lizzie is empathetic, selfless, supportive, optimistic, and kind. It is a joy to have her in class for she contributes in a way that makes others better Often she just leads by quiet example, but still makes a difference. My life and soul are blessed by knowing Lizzie.” — Samra Spear

“This is such a well-earned honor! Lizzie McCrystal stands out as a committed leader She seeks out meaningful and rich opportunities for her growth and deliberately engages in ways that build and enhance programs and make others feel included and welcome. She acts with the highest integrity and can be counted on to do what she says she will do in a way that is inclusive and honest. We are so lucky Lizzie is an Outlaw!” — Rima Givot

“Lizzie is such a great person. She’s incredibly interested and walks through life with an endearing smirk on her face showing amusement at the many connections she makes about the world and people around her I wish she had a text bubble floating above her head so that I could always be in on the creative, smart, and thoughtful observations she plays with. I feel so fortunate to be one of her teachers.” — Dan O’Neill

“Lizzie is an incredibly positive presence fo r our school. As the principal, I am particularly appreciative of all the efforts she puts in behind the scenes to make sure all students at Sisters High feel included.” — Steve Stancliff

“Lizzie McCrystal…what can I say? Amazing student, human being, and daughter. Lizzie is compassionate, kind, and caring. She thinks not of herself but the welfare of others. We are waiting for the DNA test results to determine where this all came from. :)” — TR McCrystal

Student of the Month program.

Oregon: People convicted by split juries can have new trial

By Claire Rush Associated Press/Report for America

PORTLAND (AP) —

Hundreds of defendants in Oregon who were convicted of crimes by non-unanimous juries before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down such jury verdicts have a right to a new trial, under a decision issued by the state’s supreme court.

The Oregon Supreme Court ruling applies to state cases with non-unanimous jury verdicts where a criminal conviction was final and the appeals, if any, were over before the 2020 Supreme Court decision.

The state’s justice department said it will work immediately to implement the decision. It could affect at least 400 convictions, according to Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum.

Oregon voters in the 1930s enacted a law that allowed for non-unanimous jury verdicts of 10-2 or 11-1 in most criminal cases, except those for first-degree murder. Until recently, Oregon was the only state in the country, along with Louisiana, that allowed people to be convicted of a crime when at least one juror expressed doubt.

But the U.S. Supreme Court struck down non-unanimous jury verdicts in 2020, ruling in Ramos v. Louisiana that they violated defendants’ constitutional right to a trial by jury and had roots in racism.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the court that the practice should be discarded as a vestige of Jim Crow laws in Louisiana and racial, ethnic, and religious bigotry that led to its adoption in Oregon.

“In fact, no one before us contests any of this; courts in both Louisiana and Oregon have frankly acknowledged that race was a motivating factor in the adoption of their States’ respective nonunanimity rules,” Gorsuch wrote.

The Oregon Supreme Court’s Friday ruling echoed a similar stance.

“While Oregon did not approve non-unanimous juries as part of a brutal program of racist Jim Crow measures against Black Americans, its own voters — consistent with this state’s long and foundational history of bigotry and Black exclusion laws — approved nonunanimous juries as a means of excluding nonwhites from meaningful participation in our justice system,” Senior Judge and Justice pro tempore Richard Baldwin wrote. “With that understanding

— and with a measure of courage — we can learn from our history and avoid such grievous injury in the future to our civic health.”

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum welcomed the decision, as did criminal justice advocates and defense lawyers.

Portland defense lawyer Ryan O’Connor represented Jacob Watkins, who was convicted of four felonies by a 10-2 jury in 2010. O’Connor said he hadn’t yet spoken with Watkins, who is in prison, but that Watkins’ family told him they were thrilled about the ruling.

“They said it’s the best holiday gift they’ve ever received,” O’Connor told The Associated Press, describing Friday as “a really wonderful day for justice” in Oregon. “It’s a big deal to probably reverse hundreds of convictions. Until today, people were sitting in prison ... based on verdicts that everyone agreed were unconstitutional.”

The Oregon District Attorneys Association expressed skepticism over the ruling. It said that “retrying decades-old cases can be challenging if not impossible” and expressed concern for crime victims.

“Many of these cases that will be forced to be retried are violent person crimes, and will cause significant victim re-traumatization,” it said in a news release. “We must ensure that these victims, many who are women and children, need not face the terror of testifying once again before their abusers.”

After the 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Oregon’s Appellate Division reviewed more than 750 criminal convictions that were on appeal and identified hundreds requiring reversal, according to the state justice department. Oregon appellate courts have since sent over 470 of the cases back for new trials, the department said.

Convictions dating back decades could be overturned, state justice department officials said, although the statute of limitations might bar relief for some older convictions.

By Jacqueline E. Mathews, Tribune News Service

Retrying decades-old cases can be challenging if not impossible.

— Oregon District Attorneys Association

ALL advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD toll-free at 1-800-669-9777. The toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

CLASSIFIED RATES

COST: $2 per line for first insertion, $1.50 per line for each additional insertion to 9th week, $1 per line 10th week and beyond (identical ad/consecutive weeks). Also included in The Nugget online classifieds at no additional charge. There is a minimum $5 charge for any classified. First line = approx. 20-25 characters, each additional line = approx. 25-30 characters. Letters, spaces, numbers and punctuation = 1 character. Any ad copy changes will be charged at the first-time insertion rate of $2 per line. Standard abbreviations allowed with the approval of The Nugget classified department. NOTE: Legal notices placed in the Public Notice section are charged at the display advertising rate.

DEADLINE: MONDAY, noon preceding WED. publication.

PLACEMENT & PAYMENT: Office, 442 E. Main Ave. Phone, 541-549-9941 or place online at NuggetNews.com. Payment is due upon placement. VISA & MasterCard accepted. Billing available for continuously run classified ads, after prepayment of first four (4) weeks and upon approval of account application.

C L A S S I F I E D S

102 Commercial Rentals

220 SW PINE ST., SUITE 106

For lease 582 SF RETAIL space available February 1, 2023. Great location with on street parking. Email lorna@nolteproperties.com or phone 541-419-8380. Lorna Nolte, Principal Broker Lic #200105010

MINI STORAGE

Sisters Rental 331 W. Barclay Drive 541-549-9631

Sizes 5x5 to 15x30 and outdoor RV parking. 7-day access. Computerized security gate. Moving boxes & supplies.

STORAGE WITH BENEFITS

8 x 20 dry box

Fenced yard, RV & trailers

In-town, gated, 24-7 Kris@earthwoodhomes.com

103 Residential Rentals

For Rent - new Earth Advantage

Platinum home in beautiful

ClearPine development.

Craftsman style features 3 BR, 2 BA, 1985 sq. feet with open floorplan. All top-of-the-line LG appliances incl. refrigerator, DW, microwave, front-load washer & dryer. See Zillow.com for more details. Call or text Cindy at 805-286-6302.

PONDEROSA PROPERTIES

–Monthly Rentals Available–Call Debbie at 541-549-2002 Full details, 24 hrs./day, go to: PonderosaProperties.com

Printed list at 221 S. Ash, Sisters Ponderosa Properties LLC CASCADE HOME & PROPERTY RENTALS

202 Firewood

SISTERS FOREST PRODUCTS DAVE ELPI – FIREWOOD

• SINCE 1976 • Doug Fir – Lodgepole – Juniper DRIVE-IN WOOD SALES – 18155 Hwy. 126 East –SistersForestProducts.com Order Online! 541-410-4509

205 Garage & Estate Sales

Happy Trails Estate Sales and online auctions!

Selling, Downsizing, or Deaths? Locally owned & operated by... Daiya 541-480-2806 Sharie 541-771-1150

301 Vehicles

Excellent Condition

2015 BMW 428i X-drive, 2-door coupe. Premium package. Call 541-977-4488

We Buy, Sell, Consign Quality Cars, Trucks, SUVs & RVs ~ Call Jeff at 541-815-7397

Sisters Car Connection da#3919 SistersCarConnection.com

403 Pets

Golden Mountain Puppies

1/2 Golden Retriever, 1/2 Bernese Mountain Dog. Ready mid-January. Call 619-318-4149. See available puppies at ironhranch.com

SMALL Engine REPAIR

Lawn Mowers, Chainsaws & Trimmers Sisters Rental

331 W. Barclay Drive 541-549-9631

Authorized service center for Stihl, Honda, Ariens/Gravely, Cub Cadet, Briggs & Stratton, Kohler, Kawasaki Engines

LOLO TREE WORKS

Tree Services: Tree Removal, Tree Pruning, Stump Grinding, Emergency Tree Services.

ISA Certified Arborist

SPRING FAIR March 24-26 at Douglas County Fairgrounds. Our 46th Year! Booths available for quality crafts. For info send SASE to: Spring Fair 2023 P.O. BOX 22, Dillard, OR 97432 Or email: innerspacefamily@gmail.com View Online: NuggetNews.com

Great Pyrenees Puppies

All white, 3 boys and 3 girls ready now, $350 each. Call or text for details 530-905-2250

FURRY FRIENDS

helping Sisters families w/pets. FREE Dog & Cat Food No contact pick-up by appt. 412 E. Main Ave., Ste. 4 541-797-4023

500 Services

GEORGE’S SEPTIC

TANK SERVICE

“A Well Maintained Septic System Protects the Environment” 541-549-2871

~ WEDDINGS BY KARLY ~ Happy to perform virtual or in-person weddings. Custom Wedding Ceremonies 20+ years • 541-410-4412 revkarly@gmail.com

• DERI’s HAIR SALON • Call 541-419-1279

MOVING TRUCK FOR HIRE –COMPLETE MOVING, LLC–Sisters' Only Local Moving Co.! Two exp. men with 25+ years comm. moving. Refs! ODOT Lic. Class 1-B • Call 541-678-3332

BOOKKEEPING SERVICE

~ Olivia Spencer ~ Expert Local Bookkeeping! Phone: 541-241-4907 www.spencerbookkeeping.com

Junk removal, new home, garage & storage clean-out, construction, yard debris. You Call – We Haul! 541-719-8475

501 Computers & Communications

SISTERS SATELLITE

TV • PHONE • INTERNET

Your authorized local dealer for DirecTV, ViaSat HS Internet and more! CCB # 191099 541-318-7000 • 541-306-0729

Technology Problems? I can fix them for you. Solving for Business & Home Computers, Tablets, Networking Internet (Starlink), and more! Jason Williams Sisters local • 25 yrs. experience 541-719-8329

Owner / Operator: Erin Carpenter lolotreeworks.com Call / Text: 503-367-5638 Email: erin@lolotreeworks.com CCB #240912 4 Brothers Tree Service Sisters' Premier Tree Experts! – TREE REMOVAL & CLEANUP –Native / Non-Native Tree Assessments, Pruning, High-Risk Removals, 24 Hr. Emergency Storm Damage Cleanup, Craning & Stump Grinding, Debris Removal. – FOREST MANAGEMENT –

Fire Fuels Reduction - Brush Mowing, Mastication, Tree Thinning, Large & Small Scale Projects!

Serving Black Butte Ranch, Camp Sherman & Sisters Area since 2003

** Free Estimates ** Owner James Hatley & Sons 541-815-2342

4brostrees.com Licensed, Bonded and Insured CCB-215057

C L A S S I F I E D S

701 Domestic Services

BLAKE & SON – Commercial, Home & Rentals Cleaning WINDOW CLEANING!

Lic. & Bonded • 541-549-0897

Construction & Renovation

Custom Residential Projects

All Phases • CCB #148365 541-420-8448

Earthwood Timberframes

• Design & shop fabrication

• Recycled fir and pine beams

• Mantels and accent timbers

• Sawmill/woodshop services www.earthwoodhomes.com

CENIGA'S MASONRY, INC.

Brick • Block • Stone • Pavers CCB #181448 – 541-350-6068 www.CenigasMasonry.com

CASCADE GARAGE DOORS

Factory Trained Technicians

Since 1983 • CCB #44054 541-548-2215 • 541-382-4553

SPURGE COCHRAN BUILDER, INC.

General Contractor Building Distinctive, Handcrafted Custom Homes, Additions, Remodels, Cabin Renovations Since ’74

A “Hands-On” Builder Keeping Your Project on Time & On Budget • CCB #96016 To speak to Spurge personally, call 541-815-0523

602 Plumbing & Electric SWEENEY

PLUMBING, INC.

“Quality and Reliability” Repairs • Remodeling

• New Construction

• Water Heaters 541-549-4349

Residential and Commercial

Licensed • Bonded • Insured CCB #87587

R&R PLUMBING, LLC

• • •

SPECIALIZING IN WATER

HEATERS & SERVICE

Lic. Bond. Ins. • CCB #184660 Servicing Central Oregon ––– 541-771-7000 –––

Ridgeline Electric, LLC Serving all of Central Oregon

• Residential • Commercial

• Industrial • Service 541-588-3088 • CCB #234821

603 Excavation & Trucking

BANR Enterprises, LLC

Earthwork, Utilities, Grading, Hardscape, Rock Walls Residential & Commercial CCB #165122 • 541-549-6977

www.BANR.net

ROBINSON

All Landscaping Services Mowing, Thatching, Hauling and SNOW REMOVAL Call Abel Ortega, 541-815-6740

J&E Landscaping Maintenance LLC Clean-ups, raking, hauling debris, gutters.

Edgar Cortez 541-610-8982 jandelspcing15@gmail.com

I & I Crystal Cleaning, LLC Specializing in Commercial, Residential & Vacation Rentals. Licensed, Bonded & Insured. 541-977-1051

802 Help Wanted

Full-Time Resource Sales Associate

We are looking for a person who is friendly, outgoing, and reliable; someone who enjoys working with the public in a team environment. Full-time position Monday-Friday. Applications available at the Stitchin’ Post, 311 West Cascade Ave. in Sisters or by email: diane.j@stitchinpost.com Questions? Contact: julie@stitchinpost.com

Furry Friends

Volunteers Needed

Furry Friends is looking for volunteers to help with our bottle and can fundraiser drive once a week on Mon., Fri., or Sat. It takes about 45 minutes to put donated bottles and cans in our blue fundraiser bags. Then the bags are processed at our donation drop-off spot on The Nugget porch and taken to the Bottle Drop at Ray's. To volunteer, please call 541-797-4023.

Furry Friends

Volunteers Needed

Furry Friends is seeking 2 volunteers to help at their weekly pet food distribution. Individuals must be able to move and lift up to 50-pound bags of dog food. Distributions take approximately 2 hours every Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The commitment is for 2 to 4 Thursdays on a regular monthly basis. To find out more call 541-797-4023.

803 Work Wanted

Available in Sisters COMPANION CAREGIVER

Please call or text 503-274-0214 for more information.

999 Public Notice

LEGAL NOTICE

Directors’ Positions

Three positions with incumbents running for re-election on the Board of Directors at Central Electric Cooperative, Inc. are up for election. They are: District # 2 Tumalo District # 3 Madras District # 5 Terrebonne

Pursuant to the By-Laws of the Cooperative, members who live in that district are eligible to run for election. Applications and information for candidates, including district boundaries and eligibility requirements, are available at the Cooperative’s office at 2098 NW 6th Street in Redmond Oregon. The application process involves

several steps and must be completed and filed at the same cooperative office by 5:00 P.M., February 10, 2023.

NOTICE OF ELECTION OF DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS

Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Notice is hereby given that on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, an election will be held for the purpose of electing three board members to fill the following positions and terms, including any vacancy which may exist, on the board of the Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD.

One Director, Position No. 2, Unexpired 2-year term

One Director, Position No. 4, 4-year term

One Director, Position No. 5, 4-year term

Each candidate for an office listed above must file a declaration of candidacy or petition for nomination for office with the County Clerk of Deschutes County, Oregon, not later than the 61st day before the date of the regular district election. The filing deadline is 5 p.m. on March 16, 2023. Filing forms are available at the Deschutes County Clerk’s office, 1300 NW Wall Street, Suite 202, Bend, Oregon 97703 and online at

www.deschutescounty.gov/clerk

Steve Dennison Deschutes County Clerk

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that the City of Sisters Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing at Sisters City Hall, 520 E. Cascade Avenue, Sisters, on January 19, 2023 at 5:30 PM regarding the application listed below. The hearing will be held according to SDC Chapter 4.1 and the rules of procedure adopted by the City Council and available at City Hall. Prior to the public hearing, written comments may be provided to Sisters City Hall at 520 E. Cascade Avenue, Sisters (mailing address PO Box 39, Sisters, OR 97759) or emailed to swoodford@ci.sisters.or.us. Comments should be directed toward the criteria that apply to this request and must reference the file number. For additional information, please contact Scott Woodford, Community Development Director at (541) 323-5211 or swoodford@ci.sisters.or.us. The staff report and recommendation to the hearings body will be available for review at least seven (7) days before the hearing. All submitted evidence and materials related to the application are available for inspection at City Hall. Copies of all materials will be available on request at a reasonable cost. The Planning Commission meeting is accessible to the public either in person or via Zoom online meeting. Meeting information, including the Zoom link, can be found on https://www. ci.sisters.or.us/meetings. PUBLIC HEARING: January 19, 2023 at 5:30 pm FILE #: CP 22-03

APPLICANT: City of Sisters REQUEST: Comprehensive Plan Amendment to the Sisters Comprehensive Plan to update the Sisters Parks Master Plan.

APPLICABLE CRITERIA: Chapter 4.1 – Types of Applications and Review Procedures; Chapter 4.7 – Land Use District Map and Text Amendments; Oregon Statewide Land Use Goals; and City of Sisters Urban Area Comprehensive Plan.

TOURNEY: Outlaws battled tough opponents

didn’t respond well. Sisters scored only six points in the quarter, while the Vikings put up 15. At the half, the Outlaws were down by one, 27-28.

physical style of defense that made it tough for the Outlaws to get any good looks at the basket. Sisters was only able to score seven points in the first quarter.

was able to hold the Outlaws from getting any closer and posted the nine-point victory.

Maddox-Castle led the Outlaws with 10 points, and Gardner followed with eight points, seven rebounds, and two steals. Murillo contributed seven points and eight rebounds, and Scott added seven points. Froehlich pitched in with six points and two steals.

Coach Chad Rush said, “This was a game of two halves. In the first half we struggled to do anything offensively and found ourselves down big at the half. But, like I have become accustomed to expect with this team, they did not quit and almost were able to complete the comeback. I loved the offensive and defensive intensity we showed in that second half.”

On Thursday, the Outlaws fell 57-56 to Mazama.

The Outlaws had an outstanding first quarter against the Vikings, as they attacked the basket and hit their outside shots. Gardner scored all nine of his points in the period, including a threepointer. Scott scored five points and also hit a three. At the close of the first quarter the Outlaws held a comfortable 21-13 lead.

The Vikings ramped up the physicality in the second period and the Outlaws

In the third, the game went back and forth and ended in a 39-39 tie. Diego Silva connected on a long ball from behind the arc and a free-throw to score four points. Murillo also had four points in the quarter.

The final period started much like the third with the score going back and forth. Unfortunately, the Vikings connected on more of their shots down the stretch and the Outlaws had no answer on their end of the floor. Once again, the Outlaws lost by a nine-point margin.

Scott and Gardner both scored nine points in the contest. Murillo had seven points and eight rebounds, Silva scored six, and Froehlich added five.

Rush said, “I was very pleased that we were able to come out from the beginning and knock Mazama back on their heels and take command of the game early. However, in the second quarter we forgot what made us successful and began to take some tough shots. As usual, our kids did not quit and continued to battle against another athletic and physical team. I believe that will help us as we head into league play.”

In their final game of the tourney on Friday, the Outlaws were defeated 56-37 by the Henley Hornets.

The Hornets played a

Sisters showed their grit and determination in the second period as they outscored the Hornets 13-9 and cut the deficit to seven at the half. The Outlaws switched to a 1-3-1 zone defense and forced Henley into multiple turnovers. Gardner led the Outlaws in scoring for the quarter with eight points.

The Outlaws outscored Henley by two in the third and cut the Hornets’ lead to five as teams headed into the final period. Maddox-Castle had a great quarter with six points on three aggressive, tough drives to the basket. Gardner contributed six points as well.

In the final quarter the Outlaws’ only points came from two free-throws, while the Hornets put 16 points on the scoreboard and recorded the win.

Gardner led the team with 19 points. Froehlich contributed seven points and Maddox-Castle tallied six.

Rush said, “In the fourth quarter the Hornets made an offensive adjustment to attack the zone defense that the Outlaws did not figure out in a timely manner. And to make things more difficult, we only scored two points in the quarter. Those two things made for the large margin of defeat.

“I was proud of how we competed with a very talented, physical, and athletic Henley team,” added Rush.

“To do that in the third game of a three-day tournament was great to see. I hope that intensity and grittiness from the team will be a great formula when we get to league play next week.”

Adam-Maddox Castle drives for two versus Henley.

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

stated that the Fire District currently doesn’t have the equipment necessary to fight a fire in a 50-foot building. He estimated that piece of equipment would cost over $1 million. He then surmised, “The current fire station may not be able to house a ladder truck equipped to reach 50 feet,” necessitating modification of the building.

The Council decided to pull the increased building heights proposal from the subsequently approved Development Code changes.

The Nugget was contacted by Chief Johnson the day the Development Code story appeared, to provide clarification regarding the department’s ability to fight fires with current equipment and the physical capacity of the station.

According to Johnson, “The District does have the equipment necessary to fight a fire in a 50-foot building, with the exception of a ladder truck. Many of the firefighting strategies and tactics are the same regardless of building height, and therefore the district has the equipment necessary to extinguish fires. The District does not own a ladder truck, but one is dispatched from Black Butte Ranch Fire District for any residential or commercial building fire in the city limits. That being said, the driving time from the Black Butte Fire Station to Sisters can be a challenge for ladder-truck operations. The District fire station on Elm Street is large enough and has open space to house a ladder truck equipped to reach 50 feet.”

In a subsequent phone call, Chief Johnson elaborated on how the Fire District functions. In response to

an “automatic aid agreement” between the Black Butte Ranch, Sisters, and Cloverdale fire departments, whenever a fire within the city limits is reported all three departments are simultaneously dispatched. In all cases, fire engines are the first to respond in order to get water on the fire as quickly as possible to put it out. At this time, any building fire in Sisters can be accessed with ground ladders. If a ladder truck would be needed for some reason, the Black Butte Fire District has one that would respond.

The chief explained that even if Sisters did possess a ladder truck, which would cost in the neighborhood of $1.3 to $1.5 million, the fire engines would respond first, staffed by paid firefighters. A ladder truck doesn’t carry water like a fire engine and doesn’t have the same firefighting capacity. It would stay at the station, to be brought to the fire by volunteers and paid off-duty firefighters.

“A ladder truck is a complicated piece of equipment,” explained Johnson.

Operators must receive special training that takes time and money. In the last several years, a ladder truck hasn’t been needed for any of Sisters’ fires.

Johnson said the Fire District operates with a 25-year equipment replacement plan, which identifies future equipment needs and the money necessary to purchase it. The current plan does not include acquiring a ladder truck and the necessary funds are not allocated.

Any 35-foot buildings (three stories) built in Sisters must be fully sprinklered. If the City were to change the Development Code to include 50-foot buildings, the code would have to be enhanced to increase the fire rating on stairwells and standpipes, according to Scott Woodford, Community development director. That could increase building

costs, which would inhibit providing more affordable housing.

Preedin explained the process when City Council considers Development Code changes. The background work is performed by Community Development Department (CDD) staff who then present draft proposals to the Planning Commission and City Council, who review, ask questions, suggest any changes. Then CDD revises the draft until it is in final form. That may take several reviews before it is ready for adoption. The latest Development Code changes followed this format, with CDD Director Woodford having several conversations with Chief Johnson and relaying information to the Council. Preedin had not spoken with Johnson prior to the Council meeting.

“In the interest of public safety and livability, Council decided to make a conservative decision and not adopt higher building heights,” Preedin explained. “I think we made the right call, the right decision.”

The comment about the Fire District not having the necessary equipment, or a place to keep it was, according to Preedin, “Just me being incorrect, thinking of possible consequences.”

In any case, at this point in time, the City will not allow taller buildings, and the Fire District has the equipment and personnel needed to provide for public safety.

Cloverdale Fire District first responders aided by Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District EMS cut and remove roof of totaled vehicle to extract passengers transported to St. Charles, Redmond. Emergency calls in response to accidents on black (glare) ice have increased substantially the last week as temperatures hover near the freezing mark.

PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT